Travel
Esther Swaty
Moving to Austin, Texas

It’s hard to believe I from Seattle in Austin, Texas on August 8, 2019 and now I’ve almost been here for two weeks. In a way it feels like so much has happened and so little at the same time. The story of how my partner and I ended up in Austin is long and short.

Moving to Austin, Texas
Learning, Social Media
Esther Swaty
Today’s Citizens Must Equip Themselves For The ...

Today, data and algorithms have influence over everything from our democracy, to our homes, to our work. We are in an era of seemingly unlimited technological progress and the speed of innovation requires citizens to be engaged in non-partisan learning and discussion. We don’t have to know everything but we need to know enough to think critically and ask questions about the technologies being developed, as well as be able to hold accountable the individuals and organizations creating them.

Today’s Citizens Must Equip Themselves For The Technological Future

Entrepreneurship

WELCOME TO UNCOMMON CARTOGRAPHY

We are so excited to jump into the fray with all of you creative entrepreneurs, startups and especially those established businesses whose shoulders we stand on. The road to launching Uncommon Cartography has not been a straight one, it has been filled with stops and starts and more detours than I can count. Recently, I listened to a Creative Morning Podcast in which Casey Gerald shares why “Purpose is the new bottom line”. During this podcast Casey opens up about how his Mom was always his dream defender:

“I’d sit on the floor of the bathroom while she put on her makeup and tell about my big ideas. I’d say, mom, I want to be a firefighter. She’s say, sure, baby. You can do that. I’d come back a few months later and say, mom, I want to be a chef like Julia Child. And she’d say, yeah, baby. You can do that too. Then, a few months later I’d come back. I’d say, momma, I want to be Martin Luther King. And she’d say, well, baby, that’s not a job. But I’m sure you can do it.”

Rather than following a popular path to specialization, I have flip-flopped between wanting to be a lawyer, a counselor, a writer, a bookstore owner, a fashion stylist, a wedding planner, and countless other dreams. Some of these ideas died before being tested, others I pursued for a bit before growing increasingly dissatisfied and unchallenged. Throughout the years, I have been blessed to have family, friends and mentors who have supported my many aspirations. In 2012, along with some friends, I launched Uncommon Collective, a community of artists that became a seedbed for Uncommon Cartography.

Uncommon Cartography is made up of creative entrepreneurs I have had the privilege of collaborating with on a variety of projects. The goal of Uncommon Cartography is to help support you, our fellow creatives and entrepreneurs, whether you are on the path to launching your own business, seeking to refine your business, or if your business is stagnant and in need of a creative infusion. I have been incredibly lucky to have mentors and collaborators who have helped me get to this point and would feel privileged to help you in a similar capacity.   

We all need dream D E F E N D E R S. We all need environments that can provide a safe place for our ideas to grow. We all need people who will collaborate with us to take our ideas from the abstract to a concrete reality.

Uncommon Cartography looks forward to the opportunity to partner with you as you pursue making your dreams a reality.

Esther Maria Swaty Uncommon Cartography Chief Strategist + Coach